What Children Are Never Scolded For
by freya kurenai
Summary: at least, that's what it seems. At Quillish Wammy's Orphanage in England, there are rules, like any other orphanage... but there are, of course, exceptions. 2nd attempt at oneshot. please do not sue.T for whatever i fail to censor, angst coz it's them.
1. Chapter 1

**Freya: **as a disclaimer, **ME NO OWNIE!!!!! **-- as a summary,

_Children are children. like boys are boys. only difference, you can scold oys, but little children hereby dubbed "the geniuses who will succeed L", well, that's a bit different._

**

* * *

**

**No one ever accosted Near for playing with kid's toys.**

Of course, no one ever did. It was what he did, and what he continues to do. Blocks and whatever he can make out of them. Little stuffed animals that he could hurl at each other and pretend to talk with.

There's the key word there, _pretend. _

No one ever knew if Near was talking to himself, but they never did scold him for it. He was quiet and silent and hardly ever caused any ruckus around Wammy's, and the dorm mothers were truly thankful.

And if he was, what could they do?

Some would say : _it's his way of genius. You know how smart they are._

Another would counter: _Maybe we should tell Mr. Wammy, or Roger, even. I don't think it's normal._

( then again, this one might be new, because **nothing **at Wammy's was normal )

Someone else would pipe up : (and maybe this one's been here for a really long time ) _oh, cut it. You _

_know that's how he is. Just be thankful he's not like the other children we have to clean up after._

Still, who cared if Near would talk to (or _pretend _to talk to, because no one really knew) his toys?

Some things were really better left unsaid.

**No one ever scolded Mello for eating smoking underage.**

Of course, they tried. Countless times and threats for children to make them quiet, and yet it would never work. That Mello was a hardy one, they would say. Long cigars, or cheap smokes whenever ( when, really, is the question) he could manage.

There it is, _whenever. _

They really didn't know _when _he got them, though seeing him without one could be a real treat for the ladies, it solved one problem for the moment at least.

But then they would see him with it again, ten minutes later, puffing on it and inhaling that dangerous white blast of smoke and exhaling it as such, never really caring if they grounded him and took it away.

There was always more of it, the next time around.

Some would say : (and really, it was **just **some ) oh, don't mind the boy. At least he's not breaking windows.

Another would counter : (and still it's a bit of a mystery whether this one's new or just stupid ) I still say we should tell Roger, in my land (and we please abhor this as a figure of speech) we never let our (figure of speech, figure of speech) boys have any of _those._

Someone else would pipe up : and we're really thankful for this one, really) Just let it be, Mello will quit. Ten minutes, give the little genius ten minutes and I tell ya, he'll oust Einstein! (then again, maybe a really long time is _too long _)

Yet, who cared if Mello smoked? None of the other kids (to there knowledge ) ever did the same, and he seemed to know what he was doing, leveling it out with chocolate bars and sometimes alcohol (the mothers would shake their heads- then ask him if he had some gin).

It was one of those things no one really knew what to say about.

And it was always left unsaid.

* * *

Freya: and I escaped for a couple of hours and this got into my head. But don't worry, S2 and NTI will be ready for up-loading by next week, when I devote my all to them!!!!!

Like it? Hate it? CC? Flames?? Just click the darn thing, will ya?


	2. Chapter 2

**freya: yo minna! here is the last installment of my humble drabble. ja, enjoy!

* * *

****No one ever tried to stop Matt from playing his video games.**

That was a lie, because the dorm mothers could line up and they'd tell you (each and every one of them), in no uncertain terms, that they had (in numbers they couldn't remember) all tried to stop said child from said activity.

Said child : Matt

Said activity : playing with his video games.

They would spot him, there, in his usual spot. On the rug, beside the rug, lying on the rug, it didn't matter. He was always there, with his game consoles (plural because he has too many, and they wonder why Roger let him keep them), not paying attention to anyone's voice but Mello's.

The flashing lights on the screen wouldn't stop, unless someone else wanted a turn. And he would _stop _, get up and brush himself off, leaving the new kid to face whatever monster he had left on to the next challenger.

They would never say he was cruel though. No, just a gamer interrupted, a gamer who willingly left his spot, leaving the next victim to the claws (or teeth) of the game.

Some would say : ( and we begin to wonder if someone really is saying this) _it's fine, he's just being the child that he is. Dear me, he left his toy _( DS, dear lady, DS) _on the floor. Matt, come here!_

Another would counter : (this one must really be new, to say the least) _Ma'm, I really think we should tell **someone**, I mean, no child should be allowed that much time in front of that thing. _(m'dear, it's called a TV. Object it is, simply a _thing _, it is not.)

Someone else would pipe up : (and really, I think this one knows too much) _he'll be done in an hour Lina _(at last, the name!)_, just let him be. Matthew's _(is there such a name anymore? No, he'd never respond to that) _a good boy, good boy. Oh, and pick up that cigarette pack he's left. He'll be looking for it later. _

(Sometimes, these dorm mothers seemed to be taken from the oddest of places… maybe it was just the children themselves though)

Then he would look at them, silent, just a brief moment, then- he would turn and go.

Amidst the other children being scolded (how many were there? Not very many, we hope), Matt was one of the lucky ones. He _never _got scolded. (because he never listened.)

**No one ever stopped L from eating his sweets.**

(ah, finally the truth!)

Because it was L, and he never disturbed anyone. He made them feel awkward, sure, but they (and this is from the past, back then, when he was still known as someone else) never got any trouble from him.

_That's because he was rarely ever there._

(who speaks?)

_Agreed. _

(again, who speaks?)

000000000

_Roger often said that he was with him, and when we asked who him was, we would somehow be met with silence that we both knew the man could keep on forever._

…

_Roger could be a terribly silent man if he wanted to._

( but, who are you?)

_On those rare occasions that we did see him, we would be happy. He'd pay with his puzzles as I leaned over it, trying to help as well. He'd just sit there, finger in his hair, twirling it there. (We wouldn't be rivals for that time.)_

…

_(and only at that time would we both be at peace) He would sit with me as he looked on, chocolate bar dangling from his mouth. He would give me candy too, bubblegum, I remember. Then he would offer a bite from the chocolate bar, and we'd continue with the puzzle._

_0000_

No one did, no one dared. Because if they were about to…

_He'd come._

…

_He'd go._

_0000_

… L would not have the time to listen. He would already be walking away, with Watari and _him._

Oh yes him, and no one would say, no one would counter and no one would be the last to pipe up because seeing L sitting there with sweets and sweet wrapper all around him was a real treat.

_That's why._

…

_That is why._

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_Time flies._

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"He's dead…"

Roger glanced at the two protégé's, one a blonde holding a chocolate bar in his left hand (_Mello was his name now_), the other a silver-white haired boy in white pajama's(_Near, and it would be so until he was called something else_).

Mello bristled.

Near looked down.

…

"…he didn't get to choose, did he?"

…

Roger nodded.

(Somewhere, in the walls of Wammy's , Matt looked up and pushed his goggles down. _Bad weather. Brewing storm. Omens._)

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_And only moments later_

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"We're rivals again, got it?"

A nod. Near looked up.

"…Be careful Mello."

The blonde looked away, looked at Matt as he donned his coat (the warm one, it was raining) and looked back at the silver-haired boy.

"You shouldn't worry about your rival." He sounds childish and he knows it.

Near looked down, down at the floor, then at the rosary around Mello's (_his rival's_) neck. Reachinmg forward, he took it, and kissed the cross.

"Good bye Matt, Mello."

"See ya, Near."

…

"Bye."

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_Here at Wammy's orphanage, there are rules that should be followed. _

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_But never are._

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_And the only difference, form everywhere else?_

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" _I don't talk to my toys, I play with them."_

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" Yeah, I smoke, got anything to say about it?"

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"… I'm finishing my game, it would be better if you didn't distract me."

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"…" **(and he would stare at you with his eyes, dark rimmed and painfully hollow, before he turns to leave.)**

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…_they never really get scolded for it._

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_**fin**_

* * *

**_Freya: well, that's about it! watch out for my next one-shot, a ??? x Near fic! ... _**

**_0000_**

****

**_click it, you know you want to... _**


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